Game apparatus



Feb. 11, 1941. Q BERGMANN 2,231,406

' GAME APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Feb. 11, 1941. c, BERGMANN GAME APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENT OR. M WW ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 11, 1941 GAME APPARATUS Charles Bcrgmann, Newark, N. J.

Application July 15,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined ash receiver and game apparatus. Ashtrays heretofore provided have bee-n entirely utilitarian or have combined this characteristic with a pleasing ap- 5 pearance. So far as I am aware, however, no ashtray has heretofore been provided which is useful, has a pleasing appearance and at the same time aifords entertainment.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel combination game mechanism with ash receiving and cigarette retaining means.

Another object is to provide a game apparatus attractively combined in a novel manner with an ash receiver, the combination being so made as to retain all the utility of an ash receiver and cigarette retaining means.

A further object is to provide a novel combination of the above character which may be economically manufactured in large quantities and which will be entertaining as well as utilitarian.

The above and further objects and novel features will more fully appear from the detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being had to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference character refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section and with parts broken away, of said embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pointer employed in the embodiment of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, of a portion of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a third embodiment of the invention; and.

Fig. 6 is a plan view with parts broken away of the embodiment of Fig. 5.

The form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, comprises an ash receiving tray having a peripheral flange integral or otherwise located there- With upon which suitable indicia are mark-ed. A rotatable pointer is pivotally mounted at the center of said tray to cooperate with said indicia,

1939, Serial No. 284,630

said pointer being manually rotatable by means of a knob operatively'associated therewith.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a suitable receptacle for receiving ashes is provided comprising a shallow tray 5, preferably of sheet material as metal, around the upper periphery of which there is provided a plurality of troughs 6, preferably integral with the tray, in which, for example, cigars or cigarettes may be placed. In order to provide a member against which ashes from a cigar or cigarette may be easily scraped and removed, and also to provide a member which in combination with suitable indicia, to appear later, is adapted for game purposes, a pointer I is mounted in the center of tray 5.

Means are provided for rotatably mounting the pointer 'l which means are inexpensive and easily adapted for the present purpose comprising a spinning pointer bolt or supporting pin 8 which preferably is constituted by a bolt having a head 9 which engages the surface of an indentation 5a centrally disposed in the bottom of the tray, said indentation being provided to prevent said bolt head from projecting beneath the plane seating surface of thetray bottom. The bolt extends through a perforation in the indentation and preferably comprises a threaded portion 8a and an unthreaded portion 85 having for a purpose, to appear later, a pointed extremity 80. A suitable nut l0 engages the threaded portion 8a and holds the bolt rigidly in place.

In order that the pointer i may be spun rapidly by hand, a spinning knob H is provided which comprises a sleeve or cup H. The latter surrounds the bolt 3 and is supported upon the pointed extremity 8c. The pointer l is secured to the sleeve preferably adjacent the lower edge thereof thus presenting the upper portion of the sleeve to the grasp of one who wishes to spin it.

For game purposes, suitable indicia are provided upon the tray which are located preferably beneath a circle which is described by the pointer when it rotates. The indicia, in the form shown, are upon a peripheral flange l2 in which the above mentioned troughs 6 are formed, the indicia being located between the troughs. Each indicum comprises, for example, a representation of a conventional playing card, there being any desired combination of said representations which indicate cards of various denominations.

Another embodiment of the pointer mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein means are provided for securing a pointer 13 to a rotatable or spinnable knob I4 and for retaining the knob and pointer upon a supporting pin l5 substantially similar to pin 8. The means are constituted by retaining fingers I3a upon the pointer which engage longitudinal slots I ia in the lower portion of knob I4, thus operatively associating the pointer with the knob. The fingers IBa are preferably diametrically opposed (Fig. 3) their extremities being in spaced relation and spaced apart a distance which is less than the normal diameter of pin I5 and which move within an annular groove or neck I5a upon the pin I5. The groove is provided with suitable shoulders I5b at either extremity thereof, the uppermost of which is engageable by the fingers I-ia when the knob is axially moved upwardly, said pointer being axially movable therewith because it is engageable by a preferably conical washer I6 which surrounds the spinnable knob beneath said pointer, the washer being held in position upon the knob by a flared lower skirt portion Mb. The remainder of the supporting pin I5 is preferably similar to an analogous portion of the above-described pin 8.

The pointer I3 can be rigidly held in place upon the knob I4 by means of the washer I6 which, for example, can be thrust into a position whereby the fingers I3a are urged against the upper edges of the slots Ma in the knob through which the fingers extend. However, for a purpose to appear later, it is desirable for the pointer to be pivotable, as shown in Fig. 4, about the axis of said fingers, and that it be in a state of static unbalance whereby the arm thereof, carrying or comprising the indicating pointer proper, overbalances the diametrically opposed arm. The novel characteristics of an unbalanced pointer are below set forth in connection with a pointer Il which is analogous to pointer I3 with the exception that member I1 is not provided with retaining fingers similar to fingers I3a.

It is desirable in devices of this character that the rotatable pointer cease in its rotation at a point directly over one of the indicium as opposed to coming torest at a point intermediate the indicia. Novel means are provided in the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6 for accomplishing this desirable result comprising a rotatable pointer Il which, when at rest, is statically unbalanced and adapted for frictionally contacting a peripheral rim I8 of a tray I9 which is similar to the tray of the first embodiment. Rim I8 is provided with a plurality of fluted portions or grooves 20 having crests 20a therebetween. The indicia are preferably marked within the grooved portions as shown in Fig. 6.

The pointer Il, in the form shown, comprises a wire portion having an arm Ila which is pivotally mounted within a bore 2I of a rotatable knob 22 which is mounted upon supporting pin 23 which, for example, can be similar to that shown in Fig. 2. The axis of bore 2I is perpendicular to that of member IT. The axis of bore 2| is preferably above the plane of rim I8. Arm Ila is of sufi'icient length to reach from bore 2I to the rim. I8. A diametrically opposed arm Ilb is provided which is preferably a continuation of the wire portion which comprises the arm Ila and which extends from the opposite extremity of the bore relative to that from which arm Ila protrudes. Arm I'Ib is lighter in weight than that of arm Ila, thus producing the above-mentioned statically unbalanced condition of the pointer.

In operation the pointer arrangement is spun in a conventional manner thereby causing arm Ila to seek a horizontal plane because of centrifugal force acting thereupon. The arm Ila consequently rises from and out of contact with the rim I8 during the period that the angular velocity thereof is sufiiciently great to produce a centrifugal force to lift the pointer. When the angular velocity of the pointer progressively becomes lower the arm Ila will drag over rim I8 and over the crests 26a and will finally come to rest within one of the fluted or grooved portions 20.

There is thus provided a novel combination of an ashtray and game apparatus which is simple in construction and. inexpensive to manufacture. The apparatus may carry indicia for any type of game and in reference to certain card games, the plays of which may be accomplished by the pointer indications, the device saves the time ordinarily employed for shuflling the cards. The device can be widely employed, for example, in restaurants and bars, where ashtrays are practically a necessity and where some simple form of entertaining diversion is always desirable.

Although only three embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, for example, instead of employing a pointer as in Fig. 5 wherein the entire arm Ila pivotally moves about a central axis under the action of centrifugal force, it is possible to provide a member responsive to centrifugal force which is pivotally mounted to the extremity of a pointer similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said responsive member having a pivotal axis, for example, perpendicular to a plane passing through the center of pointer l and containing the axis of pin 8. Instead of having a continuous wire portion comprising a pointer Il having arms Ila, Ilb it is possible to have a single arm pivotally mounted upon knob 22 which has no operative connection with a suitable diametrically opposed arm. Where no such operative connection exists between the pointer arms, each can be statically unbalanced, however, it is not necessary to have a diametrically opposed arm. Furthermore, instead of employing playing card indicia upon the tray, as shown, any desired numerals or characters may be used.

It is also possible to employ a rotatable pointer which normally rests in or upon a predetermined plane and which is liftable away from the'plane or from a portion of a horizontal member having indicia thereon in response to aerodynamic and centrifugal force. For example, the pointer arm may carry a blade, or a model airplane in association with the spinnable knob. Various changes may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention reference will be had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising stationary supporting means having an annular series of radial flutes in the upper surface thereof, and rotatable means mounted on said supporting means including an element supported by the latter for relatively free rotation about a vertical axis centrally disposed with respect to said annular series of flutes and an elongated pointer member supported intermediate its ends on said element for rotation therewith and pivotal movement relative thereto about a horizontal axis perpendidular to and intersected by said vertical axis in a plane above the fluted surface of said supporting means, the weight of said member being so distributed on opposite sides of said horizontal axis that one end of said member normally rests in one of said flutes and, by reason of centrifugal forces acting thereon, rotates freely above said flutes when said rotatable means are rotated at a speed greater than a predetermined angular speed.

2. A device of the class described comprising stationary supporting means having a surface with game indicia arranged thereon about a central point, and rotatable means comprising an element supported by said first-named means for rotation about a vertical axis extending through said central point and a pointer member supported intermediate its ends on said element for rotation therewith and pivotal movement relative thereto about a horizontal axis perpendicular to and intersected by said vertical axis in a plane above said surface, said pointer member being statically unbalanced so that one end thereof rests on and frictionally engages said surface for cooperation with said game indicia when said rotatable means is stationary and is adapted to be moved out of engagement with said surface by the action of centrifugal forces when said element and member are rotated faster than a predetermined angular speed.

CHAS. BERGMANN. 

